Easy, delicious recipes for the beginner or “experienced” cook.

Short on time? Prepare your turkey a few days before Thanksgiving. Be sure to save the turkey broth in a jar. (Cool first without the jar lid.  Once cooled, screw on lid and refrigerate.) On Thanksgiving morning, neatly lay turkey slices in a oven-proof Pyrex and pour broth over top. Microwave (covered) until thoroughly heated OR bake (covered with foil) in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Just baste occasionally to keep moist.  Optional: Top turkey with 4 sage leaves (to be removed before serving), 1 sliced apple (peeled), and a sprinkle of brown sugar before reheating.

START YOUR THANKSGIVING MEAL WITH …
A good scoop of orange sherbet in the bottom of a clear glass. (Clear plastic tumblers work great.) Pour cranberry juice over top and serve glasses on a tray.  Or, bring out a bottle of chilled Martinelli’s.

MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES
Boil 8-10 potatoes and mash (add a small amount of scalding milk to help avoid lumps)
Mix one (8 oz.) package of cream cheese and one cup (8 oz.) of sour cream
Garlic salt to taste.
Combine above and top with chives and butter. Makes about a 9″ x 9″ pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 min.  Can be made before and refrigerated or frozen.

For larger servings:  A 5 lb. bag of potatoes = a 13″ x 9″ pan on the average and use 2 pkgs. of cream cheese and a 16 oz container of sour cream.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

GERMAN APPLE STUFFING
1 lb. loaf of day-old bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup margarine
1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 med.-size apples, pared, cored, and chopped (3 cups)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread cubes on cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Lower oven to 350°. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Pour over bread. Add milk and eggs; stir to moisten. Gently stir in apples and raisins. Spoon into a greased 6-cup baking dish; cover. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Makes 8 servings

CHOPPED BROCCOLI with CASHEWS
(A switch from the typical green bean casserole)
1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (cook to pkg. directions)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 cup salted cashews
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Melt butter in medium skillet. Sauté onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cooked, drained broccoli and cashews. Cook until heated through. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings. Optional: Add 1 can Cream of Chicken Mushroom condensed soup (no added water) when you add the broccoli and cashews. Heat thoroughly.

JELLO-BASED SALADS

FLUFFY LIME JELLO SALAD
1 can (2 1/2 cups) crushed pineapple (drain and reserve 1 cup syrup)
2 (3 oz.) pkg. lime gelatin
2 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 medium carton Cool Whip

To pineapple syrup, add lime gelatin; heat and stir until dissolved. Add cream cheese and mayonnaise; beat smooth with mixer. Stir in cold water, drained pineapple and marshmallows. Chill until partially set. Fold in Cool Whip into lime mixture. Turn into 9×13″ pan/dish and chill until firm. Makes 15-20 servings.

ORANGE SHERBET SALAD
1 pkg. (6 oz.) orange flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup orange juice
2 cups orange sherbet
1 cup drained mandarin oranges (OR 1 cup drained pineapple tidbits)

In small mixer bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add orange juice and sherbet; blend at low speed until sherbet is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill until thickened but not set, about 45 minutes. Fold in oranges. Pour into lightly sprayed (vegetable spray) 8″ square pan. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours. (Recipe can be doubled. Use a 13×9″ Pyrex pan.)  Serves 4-6

SWEET POTATOES (New cook? Use canned Yams and “doctor-up” or use the following recipe which can be made in advance and refrigerated. Don’t bake or add marshmallows until “day of”.)

3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked
4 Tbsp. butter, stick softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 bag mini-marshmallows
pecan pieces or walnut pieces (optional)

Prick and boil your potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes and check for doneness; usually if knife can easily slide through. Let them cool and peel. Preheat oven to 350°. Put potatoes in 2 quart greased casserole dish and add all ingredients except marshmallows. Mash potatoes and ingredients really well; using an electric mixer or hand mixer works best. Heat for about 20 minutes. Turn your oven up to 400 degrees and add marshmallows. Put marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes and heat for about 5-10 minutes or until browning on top. (Check after 5 minutes to avoid over-browning.)

NO CRUST, LOW-FAT PUMPKIN PIE (DELICIOUS!)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk, nonfat
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
3/4 cup Splenda (granulated)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

Preheat oven to 425 º. Mix sugar and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl.

Stir in pumpkin and sugar and spice mixture. Mix well. Slowly stir in evaporated milk. Pour into well-greased 9” deep glass pie dish.  Bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350º.Bake for an additional 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours and serve. Serves 8. Top with whipped cream.

Preparing your FIRST Thanksgiving meal or extremely short on time? Unless you’re a good cook already, don’t try to “go it” alone. Ask everyone to bring a dish of food and you provide the turkey (plus other essentials). Otherwise, besides the recipes above, add a package of store-bought rolls (heated), cranberry sauce (from a can), buy the gravy (from store, KFC, Boston Market, etc.), add a second vegetable dish (such as a green bean casserole), pickles / olives = DINNER! (Of course, don’t forget to transfer store-bought items to festive bowls or other serving pieces. Then, hide the containers!)

Clean the bathroom and quickly dust. Then, concentrate on the menu but don’t overly sweat the preparations. Just remember… as important as the food is for a Thanksgiving Dinner, even more important is the celebration and gratitude that comes from being with family and friends. Focus on these for a joyful day. And, remember to THANK GOD for it all! For all blessings come from Him!

Note: First time preparing a turkey? Google “turkey preparation” and a number of websites will come up that will walk you through fixing a turkey. It’s really not that hard. Once you’ve mastered your first one, you’ll be a pro!

Our quick tips for the beginner: Go with a smaller turkey. (If you’re preparing for many people, get two or more smaller turkeys instead of a larger one. They’ll cook faster and will be easier to clean.) Buy a tried-and-true popular brand and look for sales.  Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven according to directions included with the turkey (usually 350°).
2. With a clean sink, remove outer wrappings and remove extra turkey parts in the cavities of the turkey (wrapped in plastic). You can boil these or, as many do, just throw away. If putting your hand inside grosses you out, put on disposable latex gloves.
3. Then, thoroughly rinse off (inside and out) the turkey. Pat dry and spray top and sides of turkey with a vegetable spray and sprinkle on garlic powder. Using a browning bag (purchased at the store) flour the bag according to directions. Place into a large cake pan or similar pan, with sides, for support.
4. Place turkey into browning bag and seal.  Put in oven for time directed. Immediately.
5. Thoroughly clean surfaces (counter top, sink, etc.) that came into contact with the turkey or its juices.

It’s important that the turkey is thoroughly cooked. Remove from bag and place on a platter, ready to carve. After dinner, be sure to remove the rest of the meat as soon as possible from the bone and refrigerate to prevent spoilage. Great for sandwiches and other dishes after Thanksgiving. Or, it can be frozen. Enjoy!